Story Time
by siriuscos
Summary: Nothing bad ever came from reading a book right? (Rating may go up) Please read and review!
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything except the plot; all characters and settings were created by J.K. Rowling.

**Prologue**

Ron sat on his orange Chudley Cannons clad bed writing to Harry. Ron had been writing to him more often to see how he was and of course to talk to his best mate. After all he had been Ron's best mate since they met on the train seven years prior. He had of course been writing Hermione as much as well. The two had started dating the year before and Ron missed her. She was in Italy with her dad until the next year started so he wrote Harry.

"Ron!" His mother called up from the foot of the stairs. "Ron your father wants to talk to you." Ron set down the letter he was writing and got off of his bed. He looked around his room for his jacket and then headed out of the room. He took down the stairs two at a time and jumped down the last three into the kitchen.

"Where's dad?" Ron asked as he picked up a piece of bred from the table and took a bite out of it. He walked over to the clock and found his dad. He was half way between home and work.

"He flooed from work telling me to call you down to get ready to leave when he gets home." Ron nodded and walked into the living room. He found his shoes and put them on after sitting down in front of the fire on the couch. After a few moments Arthur Weasley walked in through the front door. He put his hat down on the coat rack and walked over to Molly. Ron leaned back on the couch and waited for his dad to finish talking to his mum.

"Ready to go Ron?" His father asked as he walked into the living room with a smile. Ron stood up and nodded and the two left the house together. They walked down the hill in silence, but not an uncomfortable silence. When they reached Ottery St. Catchpole Arthur told Ron he would meet him in the bookstore after he talked to someone. Ron nodded and walked down the small streets until he say the bookstore.

"The Crow's Nest." Ron muttered to himself as he walked inside. It was darker and old looking. It had a chair in front of one of the bookshelves and a young man stood behind a counter on the right. Ron walked around just staring at the books. He never liked reading before, but he figured he'd look around anyway. He stopped, however, when he came to the last shelf. It had many old looking books, but there was one certain book that caught Ron's. He ran his finger along the spine. He was acting so much like Hermione that it scared him. He shivered at the thought and yet pulled the book off of the shelf. He looked at it, looking for a title, but it had none. It was just an old leather bound book. He opened it up and found no title inside either. "Curious."

"Ron did you find anything?" Arthur walked up next to him and looked at the book in his hand. "What's that?"

"It doesn't have a title." Ron looked at the book again. For some reason he couldn't will himself to put it back. "May I have it?" Ron's eyes widened as he said this. He himself was not expecting that.

"If you really want it than I am sure I can manage something." Arthur took the book and headed up to the counter while Ron stood in the back gaping at his own words.

"I've fallen off of my rocker." He whispered to himself as he followed his father up to the counter and out of the store. Arthur handed the book back to Ron with a warm fatherly smile. He patted him on the back as Ron stared at the book with interest. He decided he would start reading it when he got home, locked away inside his room where no one would find out that Ronald Weasley was reading a book that was not, shockingly, about quidditch.


	2. Chapter One

**Author Note:** I hope you all enjoyed the prologue at least a little bit. I hope you have some faith that I can make this to be a wicked horror story. Those who read Haunted should know I am really good at it. I hope that I do a good job for all you horror fans out there.

**IWILLmarrydanielradcliffe:** Thank you for reviewing on this story. Yes you are the first reviewer and in fact you are the only reviewer, but the number of reviews isn't really important to me. I am more rewarded knowing that the people who have read it like it. Yes I will update Seeing is believing, eventually. I have gotten writers block for that story for the time being deeply sorry if that upsets you in any way. When I find my muse again I will update! J

**CHAPTER ONE:**

"Since when do you read, Ron?" Hermione asked him as he brought the book his father had bought him over the summer down the stairs into the Gryffindor common room. They had all eaten and were now sitting around the fire talking when Ron ran upstairs. He was now descending the stairs leading up to the boy's dormitory.

Ron looked up from the book at Hermione and laughed sarcastically. "Very funny love. I have read before." He walked over to her and sat down beside her on the couch. Hermione looked over his shoulder at the book.

"What is it?" Hermione asked and right after she mentally slapped herself at how stupid that sounded.

"A book." Ron laughed and kissed her cheek when she frowned at him. "It doesn't have a title and I haven't started reading it yet. I actually forgot I had it until you brought up your summer reading 'Mione." Hermione smiled.

"Well Ron I am going head to bed because we have classes in the morning and I suggest you do the same. You too Harry." She added turning towards Harry. Harry shook his head and tilted his head back so Hermione came into view.

"What?"

"Merlin do you ever listen? That's the fourth time you've done that in the past hour." Harry shrugged and laughed.

"Yeah, bed, I heard you 'Mione." She smiled a very motherly like smile and kissed Ron good night before heading up the stairs to the girl's dormitories. She looked back very quickly before shutting the door behind her. Harry stood from his seat in the maroon armchair and stretched his arms. He turned around and walked towards the dorms. "Are you coming?" He addressed to Ron. Ron shook his head and waved his hand. "In a moment." Harry nodded and disappeared through the door.

Ron was now left sitting on the couch, alone in the common room, staring at the curious book. He couldn't remember why he'd forgotten to read it during the summer. He had the time, but soon he shrugged it off and told himself it was because he didn't like reading.

He ran his fingers across the cover of the book as if trying to feel for something that wasn't letting itself be shown. He couldn't help but feel entranced by this book, a book he new nothing about. He saw it one day and just couldn't put it down. Why did this book have so much power over him? He didn't understand. He'd seen exciting sounding books before, never have any of them given him the feeling that he was no longer controlling himself.

It was as if he were almost being guided to pick up the book and buy it. He could feel his hand grip the edge of the front cover and pull it open, but he was in a daze. When he opened it all seemed to go away and he forgot about the strange feeling the book had given him. He turned the yellowed page and came to what should have been the index, but nothing was written. Yet there were traces of black ink. It was like someone had erased what had been written. He tried hard to read what had been there, but it was to no use. The writing was too faded and the dim light of the fire was not making it any easier on him.

His eyes skimmed the words on the first page.

"It started out as just a normal day in early autumn. The summer had just ended, but no one expected what happened in the end. It wasn't supposed to end that way."

Ron jumped as the window blew open with a loud crash. He looked at it as if he expected it to shut itself, but then stood up and walked over to it. He remembered clasping the lock, but he didn't remember the wind to be blowing that hard. When they all had arrived at Hogwarts a few hours earlier the wind was just a light breeze, cooling the unnatural warmth. Unlike so many years before it hadn't rained at all on the way there on the train. The sun had been shining brightly through the compartment windows adding heat to the already warm room. He had only seen the weather change that quickly once in his life so he was a tad bit disturbed by the force of the wind as it blew through the still opened window. He set down the book and pushed the window closed and made sure the clasp was locked this time. He tugged on it just to make sure.

With that he shook the thoughts out of his head and went back to the couch with the book in hand. He still planned on reading it. He had about an hour to kill so why not right? Ron read further down the page, ignoring the whistling of the wind and the crackling of the fire. In fact he ignored all outside sounds as he became more and more involved with the words on the page. Never had he been so drawn to read something in his life, not even quidditch. Something about this book made it impossible for him to set down. He just had to keep reading. It wasn't until Harry came back down stairs did Ron get pulled out of his revere.

"What are you still doing up mate?" Harry asked groggily. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and yawned. He was wearing his normal pajamas.

"I haven't been up that long." Ron reassured him. "I was just reading a little, but I was just about to go bed." Ron honestly believed what he was saying.

"Ron, it's been three hours." Ron jumped up from his seat and ran over to Harry. He grabbed his arm and looked at Harry's wristwatch. Harry was right. It was two in the morning. Ron suddenly felt extremely tired and yawned. He hadn't even noticed that he had been down there that long. He decided that he would go up to the boy's dorm and go to bed before classes started so he would at least have a few hours of sleep. "Better than nothing." Ron muttered to himself. He patted Harry on the shoulder and sprinted up the spiral staircase to bed.

Harry on the other hand quickly stepped over to the couch where Ron had left his book lying open. He stared at it trying to figure out why Ron found it so interesting, but it just didn't seem to come to him, so Harry pushed the thoughts away and went to bed. As Harry reached the door he could see Ron pull the covers over himself and close his eyes. He had left the curtains around his bed open, Harry guessed, because of sheer exhaustion. Harry took Ron's advice and hopped into bed, pulling the curtains closed. The two free to dream and rest until the next day threw everything it had in store for them.


	3. Chapter Two

**Chapter two:**

****

Ron rubbed the tiredness out of his eyes and he sat up in bed. His curtains were no longer around his bed hiding him from the view of the rest of the boys living in the dormitory, but he thought nothing of it. Harry probably tried to wake him this morning, but Ron was never much of a morning person so Harry must have given up. Either that or he opened them in his sleep, but he wasn't one to do things in his sleep. Well except for maybe once.

Ron looked up when he saw Hermione walk in. "Hey there." She smiled. "Where's Harry?" Ron stood up and walked over to his trunk, looking for school robes for the day.

He shrugged, "I don't know, isn't he down in the common room?" Hermione shook her head.

"Ron?" He looked up at her. "Why are you up so early?"

"It's not early, its…" Harry's clock read 5:32 am. "I don't know. I just woke up. Why are you in here so early?"

"I heard something downstairs, but when I woke up I didn't see anything so I came in here to see if any of you were up. I guess it must have been Harry. He hasn't been sleeping all too well lately." Ron nodded. Ron gave up his search for school robes and followed Hermione down into the Gryffindor common room.

"Hey mates."

"Harry when did you get here?" Hermione asked, obviously trying to rack her brain for the answer before Harry told her. She was just out here and she didn't hear anybody come in.

"I've been out here for a while 'Mione."

"No you…" Harry cut Hermione off before she could finish. "So what have you two been doing up stairs?" Harry raised his eyebrow with a smirk.

"Harry, are you okay?" Hermione asked. He wasn't acting like himself.

"Oh 'Mione I am fine. I just couldn't sleep." Harry was already dressed and ready for breakfast. "Why don't you two get cleaned up? You look dreadful and Ron your hair is sticking up everywhere." Harry smiled and laughed. Hermione turned and trudged up the stairs to the girl's dormitory without a word. It was a while later before she came back down. She was dressed in her robes, carrying a heavy book. Ron cringed at the sight of it. It was huge.

"'Mione what is that?" he asked.

"A bit of light reading before breakfast." She said nonchalantly before sitting down in the maroon armchair to the left of him. The three of them sat there in the common room not talking to each other. Ron found it rather unusual for them. Harry sat to the right of him writing something on a roll of parchment. Every time he tried to read what Harry was writing he'd move it out of view. Ron stood up and left the common room. Hermione looked at him over the top of the book than at Harry who was watching her.

"I think I am going to head down to breakfast now." She said quickly.

"What's wrong 'Mione?" He asked worriedly. His eyes watching as if trying to figure out what was going through her mind.

"Nothing, Harry, I am just dreadfully hungry." He smiled at her then nodded.

"I'll be down when I finish this." She smiled back and left as well.

Ron was already sitting in the Great Hall. There was only three other students in there and two of them were from Slytherin. Luckily it wasn't Malfoy or his cronies.

"Hey Ron." He leaned back into Hermione as she stood behind him. He looked up at her face and laughed. "What?"

"Nothing, love." She frowned at him. "Really Hermione it's nothing."

"Why did you leave so quickly from the common room a bit ago?" She asked him as she pushed him back towards the table and sat down next to him.

"Food." Hermione rolled her eyes at him.

"He's finishing something up in Gryffindor. I don't know what, but he said he'd be down soon." Just as Hermione finished pouring herself some orange juice the doors to the Great Hall opened again. The two watched Malfoy walk in alone. He didn't look very well.

"Wonder what's wrong with him."

"Hermione!"

"What?" She asked. "He looks frightfully ill and no matter how much I don't like him. I don't think it's the brightest idea to come to breakfast when you look about ready to keel over."

"It's Malfoy though."

"I know very well who it is Ronald, but as I said, I don't think he should be up and around when he looks so pale."

"He's always pale." Ron pointed out.

"Not to the point that he looks blue from the veins in his body."

"He does not look blue." He looked up at Malfoy. "See he just looks sick that's all. And why are we talking about him in the first place?!" Ron was thoroughly disturbed. Hermione smiled at him.

"You can be such a whiner."

"It's who I am, Hermione. You are just going to have to deal with me."

Hermione rolled her eyes and dug into her pack for her homework. She wanted to add just one more thing to the end of it. Sure it already twice as long as it should be, but she just had too much to say and she couldn't, or rather wouldn't leave anything out of it. "Ron did you finish your essay?"

"Couldn't be arsed with it."

"Ron it's worth a large chunk of our grade!"

"And, my deary, it's not due until next week so I have time."

"If I know you correctly, which I do, you are going to wait until the night before and rush through it. Then you are going to get it back with a huge 'T" on the top." Ron feigned hurt, "'Mione it's not nice to insult other people like that. I try and try and it's never good enough for you." He shook his head and leaned into his hands.

"Oh please Ron. I am not daft enough to believe that horrible display of acting."

"Personally, love, I thought it was dreadfully fascinating." He said with a smile then leaned over and kissed your cheek. Hermione jumped as the sound of dishes falling on the stone floor erupted from the other side of the room.

"What the hell?" Ron looked up to see Malfoy looking at the floor with disgust and what seemed to be yearning.

"It tastes like…" Malfoy looked up and caught Hermione's eye then looked away and left the Great Hall.

Hermione walked down the corridor looking for Malfoy. As prefect she had a great deal of power and she didn't want one of _her_ prefects sick on the job. If Malfoy was ill he was not going to be ill in classes. It just wasn't correct. She just about turned the corner when she heard him talking to one of his friends. From the sound of it, it was Blaise Zambini, a very bright slytherin boy.

"Draco what's up?" She listened to the concern in the boy's voice. "I'm your best mate, you can tell me you know."

"I would tell you if I knew what was happening." Hermione was shocked to hear Malfoy's voice dripping with… fear? It didn't seem right in the least.

"Draco, are you scared?"

"Bloody hell yes I am scared! You would be as well if you woke up this morning and you couldn't see yourself in the mirror. Or the fact that food just doesn't taste… taste at all!!" He yelled, but quietly enough that not everyone would hear him.

"Draco that's…" Hermione jumped when she felt someone's hand on her shoulder. She turned around to find Harry staring at her.

"Never thought you'd be much of a snoop, but I figure I was wrong."

"Harry something's wrong with Malfoy." She told her best friend with a worried expression.

"He's fine Hermione. I just saw him. He's his same old sneering angry Slytherin. Nothing to worry about honestly." Hermione gave him a strange look. "Really Hermione." He reassured her, but Hermione was never one to forget the things she felt or thought and they both knew that. "You shouldn't be putting so much stress on yourself, especially when it's not even real things you are stressing about. Why don't we go down to the Great Hall and find Ron." He smiled at her and she forced herself to return it. What was happening to her? This was her best friend.

"All right Harry." He smiled at her and put his arm around her shoulders and walked with her back down the corridor to find Ron.

Ron sat in transfiguration waiting for Harry and Hermione to arrive. He had eaten already so he decided to go to class. They came in together not long after. Ron's ears started to turn red when he noticed that Harry had his arms around Hermione. "Oy, Ron. How ye doing?"

"I am fine, what are you two doing?" Hermione detached herself from Harry and sat next to Ron. She wouldn't look at Harry. Ron leaned over and whispered in Hermione's ear, "What's wrong?" She looked nervous.

"Nothing, Ron. I just saw something that I wish I hadn't." Ron nodded. _What is going on with everyone? They are all acting really strange. Harry's being all secretive and Hermione is being closed off. Not to mention everyone keeps looking behind them like something is going to pop out of the shadows._

"Ron?"

"What?" He looked at Hermione and gave her a questioning look.

"McGonagall just asked you a question." All Ron could do was give her the 'Oh' face.

That night Ron sat on the stairs outside. It was just after dinner and he didn't have to be back to Gryffindor for a few more hours so he figured it was a good enough time to go outside and gets some cooling, refreshing air. He had his leather bound book with him so he could read a wee bit further in it before he had to get back upstairs. Now was as good a time as any, right?

He flipped past the first hundred pages and stopped where he left a piece of parchment to mark his spot. He skimmed the page to find which line he had ended with and then started reading down the page.

It was dark, very dark and no one could see where they were headed, but Ella made it clear that they all had to get back to the house before someone realized they had left. They weren't supposed to leave. Dan would have been very angered if he had found out. He was a kind looking man, but there was something creepy about him, as if he knew a lot more than he was putting out, but what he knew wasn't all that great.

****

**_"We really should be getting back." Ella pointed out as the sun started to set. She suddenly got very pale and extremely nervous. "Dan…"_**

****

**_The rest of the group turned around to meet Dan's darkened blue eyes. They were cold and unloving. So different then what they were used to._**

****

**_"Did I not warn you Ella? I told you someone would get hurt if you told."_**

****

**_"But I never said anything. I swear I never said anything. They don't know, no one does. Don't do anything you'll regret. I promise you I never told." She pleaded with him. He just smirked and with a wave of his hand she was on her knees. Silent tears making trails down her cheeks. "I never told." She whispered to herself as all feeling left her body. _**

****

**_"What the bloody hell are you doing to her!?"_**

****

**_"Rion you shouldn't add to this. She is getting what she deserves. She shouldn't have said anything." Dan walked up to Ella and ran his thumb down her chin. Rion noticed that her eyes were empty and her face like porcelain. "It's all good now. She'll never have a chance to say anything… ever again." Dan laughed and turned to the rest of group. _**

****

**_"What have you done to her?" Rion spat angrily _**

****

**_"She's not dead, nor is she living. She's stuck in the middle a place much worse than either one of them. She's much closer to life than death …"_**

****

"RON!!" Ron fell off the stair onto the moist grass.

"What the bloody hell?" He mumbled under his breath and stood up off the ground. "Hermione? What are you doing?"

"Well to keep you from getting detention I figured I'd to my nice friend act and get you up to Gryffindor before Filch finds you."

"What time is it?"

"Late that's all you need to know. So come on!" She whispered quickly. The two hurriedly got to Gryffindor just as Filch came around the corner.

"That was close." Ron smiled at her.

"Oh don't you even. Now off to bed for you."

"Since when did I start dating my mum?" He thought for a moment then cringed. "Bad thought."

"Hey you were the one that thought it." She laughed then ran past the couch up to her dorm. Parvati eyed Ron from the side of the room then laughed. Ron as usual ignored it and sat down on the couch getting ready to read.

"…Therefore it's much more pleasing to me and a lot more painful for her. It's how it should be." Dan smiled manically. "Be careful Rion, you never know what might be lurking around behind you." With that Dan left. Rion could no longer deny something was going on…

****

"Could no longer deny? Bloody hell his friend is no longer really living and he can no longer _deny_ that something's is up. How daft can that boy get." Ron rolled his eyes and left the book on the couch as he went up to bed, still mumbling about how pathetic that last line was.


End file.
